


For You I Give My Dying Word

by Mxrekai



Category: Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Alpha Roman Sionis, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Jason Todd-centric, M/M, Omega Jason Todd, Omega Victor Zsasz, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Roman Sionis, Parent Victor Zsasz, Protective Roman Sionis, Protective Victor Zsasz, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27994506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mxrekai/pseuds/Mxrekai
Summary: Glass shattered as it made harsh contact with the wall. Leaving only pointed shards for gravity to drag to the ground to rest on the floor. Hands covered in gloves as dark as the night sky slammed onto the desk, the items on top of it bouncing lightly.“Daddy?”The two men’s attention gravitated towards the office door that was opened just a crack with light spilling inside of the room. Standing a few feet in front of it was a dark-haired child with a fox plush clutched in his right arm, while his left hand sleepily rubbed his left eye. Roman and Victor’s mood immediately softened at the sight of the boy—their boy, that was now waddling towards them, stumbling around from loss of balance from obviously being just woken up.-------------------------What if Jason Todd was Jason Sionis?Weekly updates!
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Roman Sionis & Jason Todd, Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz, Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Victor Zsasz and Jason Todd
Comments: 46
Kudos: 227





	1. The Things I Wouldn't Do for You

Calloused fingers gripped a small photograph that captured the face of a dark-haired child in green tights next to a man in a bat suit. An enormous smile on the boy contrasting with the serious scowl that was on the bat’s face.

Roman tore the paper in half. “What the fuck! How in the hell did  _ Batman _ find out! It wasn’t that hard of a job,” He used both hands and threw his chair across the room, barely missing Victor’s shoulder as the omega leaned to the side to avoid the impact. “Fucking fuck!”

His hands grasped for something else to throw, veins pulsing through his hands itching to break something. Glass shattered as it made harsh contact with the wall. Leaving only pointed shards for gravity to drag to the ground to rest on the floor. Hands covered in gloves as dark as the night sky slammed onto the desk, the items on top of it bouncing lightly. 

“These crates are my things!” Erratic hand gestures were thrown in the air. “Nobody messes with my fucking things!”

The man stumbled out into the open before dropping to the floor. His knees felt the icy chill of the concrete and dug his face into his hands, letting out a loud growl as a vein on his forehead pulsed. Victor rushed to his side and started to rub his shoulders empathetically, filling each roll of his fingers with as much love as possible. 

He never liked when Roman got upset, always tried to keep the alpha as happy and satisfied as humanly possible. But Batman stopping his drug shipments was inevitable. It was like the man had eyes and ears scoured throughout the city and could  _ smell _ when something even remotely nefarious was going on in “his” city. They’d just have to try harder next time, arm the men with more firepower and perhaps even booby trap the shipping location just in case. 

Hell, maybe if they got lucky Victor could have his own fun with Batman and add another scar to his chest. He’s sure that’d make the boss happy. He knew Roman would love to watch him and chip in ideas as he gave a long monologue. 

Victor agreed with Roman. “You’re right, boss, you’re completely right.” He knew it was a bad idea  _ not  _ to agree with him when he gets in these states. 

Roman groaned and uncovered his face so he could rub a thumb over one of Victor’s hands. 

“Daddy?”

The two men’s attention gravitated towards the office door that was opened just a crack with light spilling inside of the room. Standing a few feet in front of it was a dark-haired child with a fox plush clutched in his right arm, while his left hand sleepily rubbed his left eye. Roman and Victor’s mood immediately softened at the sight of the boy— _ their  _ boy, that was now waddling towards them, stumbling around from loss of balance from obviously being just woken up. 

“Hey baby, why are you awake?” Roman opened up his arms and watched the toddler totter into them and wrap his arms around his father’s neck. 

“Heard you scream, thought somethin’ was wrong.” He spoke through a yawn.

“No, no. Everything’s fine, go back to bed.” Roman pushed Jason’s dark bangs to the side then pressed a kiss onto his forehead. 

The boy looked up at the scarred man standing over his father and gave a small smile. 

“Mama,” he reached out his hand to Victor and squeezed the air a few times. “Can you tuck me in?” 

“Of Course, Jay.” His voice took on a certain softness he used with Jason and  _ only  _ Jason. 

Before wiggling out of Romans’ arms, Jason kissed his cheek then walked over to Victor. Once again he squeezed the air, this time getting Victor to pick him up and place him on the side of his hip. 

He felt his lip twitch downward and his eyes drop as he watched his partner and his child walk out. An irritated sigh left his lungs as he thought about his boy and his business. 

He had no intention of introducing Jason to this life. When Jason turned 18 and he wanted this life he could have it if he  _ wanted  _ to. He wouldn’t want to force this life onto him too early and ruin his childhood like the bat did to that obvious child in the green tights.

Who the hell was that kid anyways?

Nor did he want to worry his toddler about if his father was a bad guy or not. Or if they would arrest his father right in front of him to be carted off to Arkham, leaving him. Or worse, leaving him  _ forever _ and being unable to come back.

Hell, he couldn’t bear to think what would happen if Batman found out about his son. He’d likely be taken away from him and interrogated, or worse, put in a ridiculous costume and be forced to fight crime. He couldn’t do that to his boy, not in this lifetime.

He wouldn’t put Victor in that type of distress either over their child.

Roman grabbed the bottle of whiskey that was sitting on his desk and poured two glasses, setting them both on the floor as he patiently waited for Victor’s return. A few minutes later he got his wish and Victor came back and sat across from him on the floor, right in front of the glass. 

“How’s Jason?” 

“Fell asleep on the way to his room.” 

The two grinned whenever they discussed their child. Their little boy that was filled with life and love. Their boy they had brought upon this earth a few years prior when a one-night stand turned into something much bigger than either of them would have expected. 

When Victor came to Roman with a positive pregnancy test, he was a little wary of his reaction. A small part of him feared that he’d fire him, throw him out on his ass, and force the omega to get an abortion. 

He couldn’t have his heir be an unplanned bastard, right?

Luckily his fears were just fears and his heart nearly burst out of his chest when Roman put a warm hand on his shoulder and assured him they’d get through it. 

Roman had never thought about having kids before, never even entertained the idea of one. He was just so busy in his life that he couldn’t see himself giving the kid the proper care and attention they needed to survive. But when Victor, his most loyal follower, on and off boyfriend,  _ and _ full-time fuck buddy, came to him in his office with the scent of fresh slick in between his legs and barely noticeable pink on his face, asking him to spend his heat with him. Well, Roman couldn’t resist. 

His instincts took over and after tearing off the other man’s clothes, he shoved his knot deep inside of him on top of his desk, completely forgetting to wear or even  _ purchase _ condoms throughout the entire week. 

It was the best mistake of Roman’s life. 

“So,” Roman tipped the glass to his lips. “how are we going to take down Batman?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sit tight kiddos, this is gonna be a long one.
> 
> I actually had to cut this chapter in half because a friend advised me it would be a good idea to get the general first part/premis out first instead of posting a long chapter since it can turn some people off of a story. So yeah! This is actually my longest fic and I'm super excited to be posting it! Tags will be updated as the story progresses.


	2. Branded for Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is out about Jason's parents "side hobbies".

The elevator doors of the penthouse opened to reveal a not so happy Jason and two bodyguards standing on each side of him, each dressed in black suits and ties that made Jason’s multicolored shirt and Wonder Woman shorts stick out like a sore thumb. He stalked out of the space and practically chucked his book bag onto the ground and threw himself onto the pale leather sofa in front of the fireplace.

“Worst. Day. Ever!”

He buried his face into the pillow and let out a muffled scream. Coming from around the corner, Victor walked in to see his son face down on the couch with his arms dangling lazily off from the side. He would have had a heart attack if he couldn’t see the gentle rise and fall of the boy’s back. The omega sauntered over to the couch and took a seat at the edge of the couch near Jason’s feet. 

“Hey baby, how was your first day of school?” He rubbed comforting circles on Jason’s back.

“It was terrible, Mama!” The boy’s head popped up dramatically as the words came out in a sharp whine. 

Wild black hair bounced in time with his movements. Victor resisted the urge to smirk at Jason’s reaction that reminded him oh so much of the boy’s father. 

“What went wrong?” Victor crossed his arms over his chest.

“Hmph! More like what didn’t go wrong today!” Jason placed his face back into the pillow and flailed his arms.

Victor patiently waited for Jason to stop flailing, never once stopping rubbing his back in comforting motions. He even released some of his scent in the air to further comfort him. Once Jason caught a whiff of the familiar oak smell, he sat up and wrapped his arms around Victor’s torso, burying his face into his floral shirt. 

His boy was still small, but he was getting bigger. He had to remind himself that the kid was only 7 and that his growth spurt would come soon. He wondered if Jason would ever grow to be his height, or would he be taller than Roman?

“So first!” Jason began dramatically, inhaling a large breath. “We had to pick seats in the classroom, and naturally I wanted to sit in the front! So I took the chair that was right in front of the board. But then this prick shows up and begs me for my seat because he wanted to sit next to some pretty blonde girl! I told him no, then he threw a fit and alerted the teacher. Then in the sweetest voice she asked me if I wouldn’t mind moving, and then I told her I do mind moving because this was my seat! I was here first!” 

“So what did she say to that?” Victor chuckled at his son’s straightforwardness. 

“She told me to move, or I’d be sent to the office!” Jason practically yelled.

“What did you choose?” 

“I, um…” Jason broke eye contact, unable to finish his sentence.

The omega ran a hand through his son’s hair, doing his best to inform him that it’s okay to talk to him. His pup nervously tapped his index fingers together as his eyes stayed focused on the floor.

“I might’ve thrown the chair at the board then walked myself down to the office…”

Victor threw his head back and let out a wild laugh, bringing his pup in closer. Without a doubt, this was one hundred percent Roman Sionis’s kid. The flare, the dramatics, it all just  _ screamed _ ‘I’m a Sionis!’. 

“I was released at lunch though and had to apologize, which I did, but I didn’t mean a single word of it! Then when we went back inside, it was time to color and the same butthead who stole my seat stole my crayons!”

“What’d you do about that?”

“I told the teacher, and she had him give them back to me, but he told me to suck eggs and I stepped on his toes.” 

“Well, that’s better than doin’ nothing.”

“Yeah! Then he acts like  _ I’m  _ the villain! I just want my seat back!”

“Tomorrow when you go to school, you can ask for your seat back.” He pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s head. “For now, what do you want for dinner?”

“I wanna see Daddy. Is he home?”

The child’s eyes wandered around the penthouse curiously, specifically eyeing Roman’s tall office doors near the staircase. Victor felt a certain pain of guilt nip him in the side at his pup’s expression. He hated lying to him, but he had to in order to keep him safe. He couldn’t tell his child that his father was currently on the other side of Gotham supervising a drug trade so he could oversee that Batman does not foil his plans. 

“No baby, he’ll be home later.” He shook his head. “What do you want to eat?”

“I wish Daddy were here to eat with us.” Tears started to form in the corner of his eyes, threatening to roll down his cheeks. 

Victor quickly brought his hands to each side of Jason’s face, his thumbs stroking his cheeks as he bent his head down so his forehead could connect with Jason’s. 

Roman only ate with them, at maximum, twice a week. 

Pain filled Victor’s lungs whenever he’d watch Jason play with his food at the dinner table, his head snapping towards the elevator door at every little sound. His blue eyes would turn bright as if they were the city in the pitch black of night. The light would go out a second later, once he realizes his father is not back. Nor is his father coming home until after he’s tucked away in his room under the safety of blankets. 

Victor would never describe his part-time mate as an absent father, but at times it feels like that. 

“Hey, hey, hey, no tears. Daddy would want us to be strong, right?” 

Jason slowly nodded and rubbed his eyes, clearing the droplets. He looked up and smiled widely at his mom, exposing his missing baby teeth. 

“Yeah. We have to be strong, for Daddy.”

Pride swelled in Victor’s chest at the sight of his toddler. One day, he was going to make a fine young man in this world. 

_ Hopefully, better than him and Roman. _

……

  
  


“M-Mama? D-Dad?” 

Jason’s feet were attached to the marble as his body trembled with fear and shock. He hadn’t seen his parents since he came home from school. Fifth grade was completely different from the other grades he’s been in. It was much more demanding, and if he was being honest, slightly scary. But not as scary as the sight right before his eyes. 

He stood paralyzed at the doorway to Roman’s office. Trying to decipher the horrid scene in front of him. A family of four tied up on the floor as if they were wild boar, while his mama waved a knife around. The body of a muscular male was covered in red and face down on the floor. Jason didn’t want to begin to think about why. The scent of fear from the victims was overwhelming. Tears leaked from his eyes and raced down his cheeks as his knees clacked together and started to violently shake. 

“Fuck!” Roman shouted. 

He flinched. His parents always tried to put in the effort to not swear around him. They say they don’t want him picking up any nasty habits.

He watched through blurred vision as his parents scrambled to clean themselves up. The three bodies that were alive squirmed and tried to scream through the tape to no avail. They knew a child couldn’t help them, but the hope of rescue was still there.

It was all too overwhelming; the multiple scents of fear that infested the air in the room, his fathers new blooming scent rising in the air along with his mothers, and of course the smell of  _ blood _ and just the sight of it had Jason seeing black spots in his vision until he crumpled to the floor.

“Oh my God,” Victor exhaled. “the fuck did we do?”

“Jesus Victor, just kill them already so we can tend to our fucking kid!” Roman shouted at the omega.

Victor grunted and began to dig the knife into the second victim’s exposed skin on their neck. He had a mating mark right above his pulse that was surrounded by the dark hair of a mullet, smelled like a beta. It didn’t matter anymore as his throat opened up and blood spilled out, staining the floor in the process. The two remaining victims, both omega females, screamed as they watched the life drain out of his eyes and he stopped breathing.

This was going to be a bitch to clean up.

Roman rushed over to his boy and scooped him up in his arms. The unconscious body slumped in his arms like a bag of potatoes as he carried him out of the office and rushed him into his bedroom, bloody footprints trailing behind him as a grim reminder. The alpha couldn’t help the light scent of rage from trailing in the air. 

How could he let this happen?! His only son just witnessed him torturing an ex-employee! In his own home! 

He always tried his best to separate Black Mask from Roman Sionis. To make sure he never got caught and if he did, the name Black Mask would be on the screen. Not Sionis, he couldn’t do that to his boy who shared the same last name. He couldn’t let him live with that. 

Once Roman tucked Jason in and gave him a kiss on the forehead, he made his way back to his office, making sure to lock the door behind him. He glared at the four corpses lying motionless on the marble, painting it red with their filthy blood. A low growl passed through his lips as he clenched his fists together. He blamed them for this. For Jason finding out, for scaring him. It never would have happened if they hadn’t given an anonymous tip to the police about Black Mask. 

“Should’ve died slower!” Roman shouted. 

“I know boss, but this was the best we could do.” He uttered.

“We could’ve done better if we had gotten them here earlier! Or better yet, locked the damn door! Why the hell didn’t you lock the door?!” He directed his rage towards his on and off mate.

Victor had to physically fight the urge to roll his eyes.

“I don’t know Boss, you never asked me to. We’ve never really brought anyone he-”

“Don’t give me that shit! We were careless and now our baby boy probably has some trauma or some shit like that!” 

Victor let Roman push him around for a lot of shit, but not when it came to their child.

“Well then, why didn’t you just take them to a warehouse like you normally fuckin’ do?!” He jumped up and yelled with a new fire in his belly.

Roman’s jaw nearly dropped at the newfound fierceness in Victor’s voice. He was taken aback by the tone in the omega’s voice. 

“Because I didn’t think he got off this early! It’s only what? Two o’clock!” 

“You don’t know your own kids schedule? He has a half day every Friday!”

“Fuck!”

“Exactly!”

A gloved hand ran through Roman’s hair, combing through it as he took deep breaths and began to pace around the room, conjuring up ideas on how he was possibly going to explain what Jason saw to him.

It was pitch black outside by the time they were done and the floor was back to being pristine and polished, no longer covered in the murky red of their victims. The only lights to the city being the soft glow of buildings and street lights accompanied by the roar of motors of the roads. 

The two men had changed clothes and Victor placed them in the washer before returning to their bedroom to see Roman sitting on the edge of their bed, his head in his hand as his arm was placed on his knee. His brows were knitted together, and he was in deep thought. Victor sauntered over and started to rub his shoulders, pressing a kiss to his left one.

“What’re you thinkin’ about, Boss?” 

“I’m not your boss right now.” Roman let out an irritated groan. 

Victor could never tell what he had with Roman, or even what he was to him. Sure, they had a kid together, but that doesn’t mean they have the healthiest of relationships. Some days he would be romantic with the omega and other days he would be harsh and aggressive, or all three at the same time. It was stressful, but he never let it get to him.

What he had with the man was difficult and utterly complex. They were always fuck buddies, but transitioned through the lover’s part of their relationship pretty frequently. 

“We’re going to need to talk to Jason eventually.” Roman sighed.

“Separately or together?” He asked.

“I should do it alone, give me a chance to explain myself.” Roman said.

_ And possibly throw you under the bus. _

Victor nodded and silently wondered if he wanted to go alone so he could shift the blame onto him or if he was actually going to come clean. Neither of which were good options, in his opinion.

Roman stood up and made his way to Jason’s room, noticing that the door was closed and there was no light seeping under the bottom of it had him slightly worried. Normally he would always have his light on so he could read whatever novel he was in to at the moment. 

“Jay?” Roman knocked lightly on the wood frame.

He was met with the sound of rustling sheets before it faded into dead silence. Roman turned the handle and creaked open the door, light from the outside spilling inside, a slit of light running across Jason’s body that was curled up in his bed. The small lump under the blanket shrank in on himself as the light flashed in his eyes and shivered.

“Jayjay?” 

The need to protect his pup pulled at Roman’s heartstrings. Regret finally settling in his stomach. 

He knew he never should’ve brought work home with him, but with Batman on the prowl he had no other choice. 

The Bat is just screwing everything up for him, huh?

He walked over to Jason’s bed and sat on the end, letting out a sigh as he saw his boy curl further into himself. 

He was afraid of  _ him _ .

That didn’t sit right with Roman at all. He didn’t want his own son to be afraid of him, even if his line of business was… sketchy, to say the least. The last thing he wanted was for his son to feel as if he couldn’t trust him. 

“Jason, look at me.” Roman’s voice dropped several octaves. 

_ Alpha voice.  _ Jason’s eye twitched as his body did as he was told, his head popping up out of the covers so two big blue eyes could stare at his father. 

“Baby,” Roman’s voice returned to the soft voice he uses with his kid. “What did you think you saw?”

Jason stayed as silent as a mouse, contemplating what he thought he should say. 

He didn’t want to speak his mind and hurt his dad’s feelings, but he didn’t want to outright lie to him.

“I saw you and mommy… doing something.”

Roman had to bite back a smile at how that sentence could be interpreted. 

“What’d you see me and mommy doing?”

“You were hurting someone, a family.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke, his voice cracking a bit under the pressure of having to explain it to his father. “And-and they were in pain.”

Roman’s lips stayed flat and thin as he listened to the boy go on to explain how he was hurting a family of beta’s and how his mother had a knife, until it eventually became too much for him when his son mentioned what  _ Batman _ of all people would think. 

Someone has obviously been learning a lot about superheroes in school. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Roman gave the kid his best sympathy look. “but do you know why mom and I do what we do, Jay?”

Jason shook his head. 

“C’mon Jay, let’s go on a little field trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is a slowburn fic as well! Roy will be introduced soon aaaand I'm pretty excited to have this fic finally out.
> 
> (Okay I know I lied earlier and said weekly updates but I'm just super pumped about this fic so maybe double weekly updates?)


	3. And It Felt Great to Be a Liar

“Wow!” Jason exclaimed.

He ran to the edge of the balcony, his feet hanging off the rail as Roman held him with one arm. 

Roman’s never taken Jason up here before. Maybe once or twice when he was a baby, and he gave the infant a monologue, but never during a time where he could remember it. Work just became too busy as Batman got more and more active. Then it became near impossible to see Jason when Batman got a  _ sidekick _ . 

It was hard to balance being a crime boss and a father at the same time. 

He knew it hurt Jason whenever he went out. He wished he didn’t have to. 

Sometimes he’d look out his window and dream about being a normal family with a normal life. Not a house with a picket fence, but a family that didn’t have to hide their child. 

He’s never been out in public with Jason before. He knew the paparazzi would get him then soon enough Batman would know about him and take him away. 

Roman couldn’t risk that.

“This is Gotham.” Roman shouted over the noise of Gotham nightlife. “This is your daddy’s kingdom.” 

“Kingdom? Does that mean I’m like a prince?!” Jason tilted his head up to look at his father, his eyes twinkling in the process.

Roman let out a chuckle at the child-like wonder in Jason’s voice. “That’s right, son, you’re the prince of Gotham.”

The city roared out, buildings twinkling in the night like stars in the sky. The air was particularly bitter that day, filling the air with the putrid smell of oil and gasoline. Gotham raged on with all the silence of an avalanche as the pair looked on, a comforting silence (as silent as it could be in a busy city like Gotham) taking over the two. 

Jason lazily kicked his feet off the edge, his hands coming down across the arm that was wrapped around him to keep him from falling off the edge. His mind slowly going blank as he stared out into the night. The buildings twinkled like stars the longer he continued to stare. 

The city might’ve been a shit-hole, but it could be so pretty at night. But Gotham was always a city in disguise, much like its caped crusader.

Roman knew well enough that Gotham showed no mercy, nor even had it. It was Jason he had to prepare for that harsh truth of life. Especially since he was a Sionis. Regardless of secondary gender, a Sionis always had to be strong, even in the face of danger. They were true Gothamites. 

“One day,” Roman spoke. “this will all be yours.”

“Really?! I get a city! That’s amazing!” Jason squeaked, trying his best to mask the sorrow the memories were causing him.

“Only if you want it though, son.”

“Of Course I want it!” Oh, how the poor boy didn’t know what he was saying. “And in my city, no one will get hurt!”

“Jason,” The pup hummed in response. “The reason why your mother and I were hurting those people was for Gotham.”

“But… but they were upset and in pain and…” Jason trailed off. “are they dead?”

Roman hummed. “Unfortunately, they are.”

Jason whined and started to cry, his tears falling off of the balcony and onto the cold streets of Gotham.

“Why Daddy? Why’d you have to kill them?” 

“Jay, I didn’t want to tell you this, but now that you know, I have no choice.” Roman inhaled deeply. “I’m similar to Batman in a way.”

Jason titled his head. “Huh?”

“Your mother and I take care of the people that try to hurt Gotham.” He lied seamlessly. “They were bad people who needed to be taken care of so Gotham could prosper. So citizens could sleep safe at night. So I know that you’re  _ okay _ .” 

The soft eyes, the easy smile. Roman even had the genetic makeup of a liar. 

Roman thought it was incredible how easily he could lie to Jason and get away with it. How his son wouldn’t call him out because he didn’t know right from wrong in this stage in his life. Besides, it’s not  _ all _ a lie. They were a family of bad people (but Roman was far worse) who needed to be dealt with. 

He knew Jason wouldn’t understand if he told him the full truth. Frankly, he didn’t really want him to understand either. It’d be too much on his mind. What if he  _ told _ someone too? 

He didn’t think that his own son would rat him out to the police, but still. He wouldn’t raise a snitch in his household if he could prevent it. 

“It’s really important you don’t tell anyone, Jason.” 

“So you’re really like Batman?”

Blue eyes shimmered in the moonlight, twinkling under the crime boss’s steady but soft gaze.

“Better.” Roman replied. “Except I make sure the bad guys don’t come back.”

Jason audibly gasped. “Wow!”

Roman put a gloved hand in Jason’s hair and ruffled it.

“But… that whole family couldn’t have been evil? Right?”

Doe-like eyes looked up at Roman in a curious way. Innocent eyes not yet prepared for the harsh city of Gotham yet.

“They were,” Roman said nonchalantly. He knew he had to play this right if the kid was ever going to see eye to eye with him. “but just because they were a family doesn’t mean they weren’t evil. When you’re a protector, you have to take out those who threaten to harm what’s yours.”

“Oh...” Jason sighed. Bingo. “Okay. Thanks Dad.”

“For?” Roman raised an eyebrow.

“For protecting our city.” Jason beamed. “You’re doing a super job!”

A wicked grin came to Roman’s face as he looked down at Jason. Oh little Jason, who didn’t know what was really going on or who his father really was. Just an innocent boy who was given a hand of cards in life and told to just deal with it. 

Roman almost felt bad for him. 

His thoughts would frequently go to what if Batman found out about him, what the caped crusader would do if he found out Roman had a weak spot that could be easily exploited. Had something that he  _ loved _ that couldn’t defend himself.

He could always sign Jason up for karate classes, but really, how is that going to help him against the Bat? 

Roman’s own men could barely go up against the man and his sidekick, so what chance did a 5th grader have against them?

\-------------------

Victor was as stiff as a board when Jason and Roman came back down to the main floor. The tension in his body slowly dissolved as soon as Jason rammed into him and buried his face into Victor’s floral shirt, giggling and babbling words of praise into his stomach. 

He would’ve thought it was cute if it didn’t fill him with so much concern. 

“Mama?” Jason looked up at him with big doe eyes. “Can you teach me one day how to wield a knife?”

Victor couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping as he stared at the  _ child _ . The  _ child _ asking him how to wield a knife as if it was an everyday occurrence. 

What the hell did Roman say to him to cause him to act like this?

Before Victor could answer, Roman chimed in with a deranged laugh, causing Jason’s attention to turn to his dad.

“Okay Sport, that’s enough excitement for today!” He clapped his hands together. “Time for bed, go take a shower and get ready.”

Jason whined. “But Dad, I want to-” 

“No buts Jason, go shower then go to your room.”

“Mom!”

“Sorry kiddo, your dad’s right.”

He stomped his foot on the tile, letting out a small groan. “Dang it!”

Jason sighed and hung his head, trudging away to his room to collect his clothes so he could go do what his dad asked of him without another word.

\--------------

He blinked up at the posters on the wall, baby blue eyes travelling over various posters of Justice League members varying from Wonder Woman (his personal favorite), to Green Lantern, to Superman, to Batman himself. 

Until tonight, he wanted to be just like them in every way. Originally he wanted to be a nurse, he wanted to help people and help them feel better. He’d never been to a hospital, but on career day during school one of his classmates’ parents came in and talked about what they did as a nurse. It appealed to Jason, and he liked it.

Then one night Jason was looking out his window and saw a boy around his age leaping across roof to roof in colored clothes and green scaly underwear. 

It looked so  _ magical _ to him being up there. Running across rooftop to rooftop, soaring across the sky like a bird who just learned how to fly. The rush must be so exhilarating, never knowing what’s going to happen next. 

It’s just like magic. 

The magic wasn’t visible, of course, but Jason could feel it in his soul. There was something special about that costume. Whoever wore it felt the infinite magic of feeling alive and free. Having the power to do anything and everything whenever they felt like it. 

Jason wanted a taste of that. 

The real deal sealer was when, for a split second, he swore the Boy Wonder waved and smiled at him through his glass window. 

Well- he  _ used _ to. Now he wanted to be exactly like his parents, taking care of Gotham in a way Batman couldn’t, at least in his eyes.

Their way didn’t look as fun as Robin, but deep down he felt his parents would be more proud of him if he stuck with family.

Jason crawled onto his bed and brushed his fingertips against the Robin poster hanging above his bed frame and took a deep breath. 

“Sorry, Robin,”  _ Riiiiiip! _ He tore the poster off the wall. “but I want to be like Daddy now!” 

\--------

Once Roman heard the run of the shower, he turned to his mate, a wicked grin plastered on his face as he told his mate what happened on the balcony. Victor sighed in relief, thankful for the fact that they haven’t traumatised their son yet. 

“It turned out better than expected!” Roman laughed. “It’s perfect!”

“Roman, I don’t want him in this life this early on.”

Victor was always outspoken when it came to Jason, always transparent about what he wanted and what he didn’t want for his pup. 90% of the time he’d roll over and agree with whatever Roman wanted and do whatever the alpha wanted, but not when it came to Jason. 

“Oh, calm down, babe! He’s not in this life, he just- he just knows about it. That’s all.”

“But he shouldn’t. He’s just a kid. He shouldn’t know what we do. Puts him in jeopardy, y’know?”

Roman growled. “No, he’ll never be in jeopardy as long as we run Gotham.”

He didn’t know how wrong he could be. 

\---------

_ The bitter taste of copper filled Jason’s mouth as liquid pooled out of the corners, Roman’s screams echoed throughout the warehouse as the building burned down around them.  _

_ “Jason!” Roman shook the limp body. Fuck, Victor was going to kill him. “Jason! Get up!” _

_ There was no movement. _

_ Roman let out another scream as he huddled the body closer, blood staining his snow colored suit.  _

_ It wasn’t supposed to be this way, this wasn’t supposed to happen. It was a freak accident.  _

_ He should’ve been watching his boy, he should’ve been protecting his boy, but instead he was out doing crime instead of doing his most important job. Being a father. And now it was all going down in flames, literally. _

_ “Jay, Jay, get up!” Roman whispered to the body. “Say something, anything.” _

_ The body he cradled in his arms stayed silent. There was no sound, no movement. _

_ No life.  _

_ Jason was gone. His son was gone.  _

_ “That bastard!” Roman’s vocal cords strained. “I’ll fucking kill him!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Jason knows... it's about to get hectic.


	4. The Meeting

A week passed by since Jason discovered his parents' secret. Since then he’d been a lot clingier than normal, showing more interest in their lives, their jobs, everything. Roman never brought work home with him again after that, preferring to stay out for Jason’s sake. At first life went on as intended, Jason would go to school, come back, eat dinner with Victor, watch TV, then go to bed. But recently his routine changed. Now he’d just follow his parents everywhere after school and ask questions such as ‘Can I come with you to work, Dad?’ and ‘Mama, can we practice carving’. 

Victor recommended sending the poor kid to a child psychologist or a therapist; but Roman quickly shot down that idea. Proudly claiming that there was nothing wrong with his child and that it was just a phase from the shock and that he’d get over it soon enough. 

The omega knew it was bullshit, that Jason clearly was not fine, but Roman wouldn’t let up. His stance on the matter was final. 

It was a surprisingly bright and sunny morning in Gotham; the clouds clearing for once to make way for the warm sunshine that rained down from above in golden streaks of warmth. 

Jason was seated at the breakfast table, all of his attention focused on his right hand as he spun his butter knife around in circular motions, flipping and twirling it as if he was a ringmaster and the knife was an average baton. 

Victor took notice of this behavior, and his gaze snapped towards Jason. 

“Hey!” Victor barked at the boy.

Jason let out a yelp and fumbled, throwing the knife up into the air. 

Victor leaned over and caught the knife before it impaled him, doing a twirl of his own before stabbing the utensil into Jason’s pancakes. 

The boy’s head lowered in embarrassment as his mother’s icy glare burned holes through him.

“Jason,” Victor starts off calmly, not wanting to startle him. That’d be the last thing he wanted to do to the poor kid. “what’re you doing?”

“Practicing,” Jason deadpans at his breakfast, the syrup slowly making its way down to cover the bacon in honey thick liquid. His eggs remained untouched as he removed the butter knife from his and went back to twirling. “I’m getting better.”

As much as Victor hated to admit it, Jason _was_ getting better, and it terrified him to his core. It burned something inside of him, some age old omega instinct of protectiveness to protect his child from this life. That he’s failing to do so and that eventually his child was going to end up in a padded room next to the Joker in Arkham because of _him_.

Dear god, he felt like a failure of a parent. 

He didn’t want his child to end up like that. Jason didn’t _deserve_ to end up like that, alone and broken in an asylum. His stomach flipped and gurgled at the mere thought of Jason being put in Gotham by Batman. He knew now Jason’s life would never be the same ever again.

But Victor could at least try to restore the element of normality in his son’s life. 

“Eat your breakfast, Jay,”

Jason nodded, absentmindedly picking up his fork to take a bite of his pancakes while twirling a knife with his other hand. 

Damn, he’s got to multitasking while doing it!

The doors to Roman’s office flew open, the tall alpha swaggering out of the room, his phone jammed between his shoulder and his cheek. 

“Malcolm, it’s going to be _great_ ,” Roman walked over and gave Jason a kiss on the cheek, a giggle erupting from Jason’s throat. After ruffling Jason’s hair, he walked over to his mate and exchanged a quick peck. Jason made gagging noises at the gesture. His father stole his toast in response with a grin as he shoved a corner of it in his mouth. “trust me!” 

Victor couldn’t stop the roll of his eyes as he watched Roman talk on the phone with whoever. It was mortifying having Jason know about their secret, but having public phone calls about it _in front_ of him now? That’s just a new type of uncalled for. 

Jason on the other hand was impressed with his father. A wide smile overtaking his facial features as he watched his dad saunter around the room, making quippy comments at whoever he was talking to. He just seemed so confident. 

Jason wanted a slice of that confidence when he was older. A slice of that power that his father must feel whenever he’s doing stuff like that.

“Dad! Dad, look I’ve been practicing!” Jason grabbed the butter knife once again, his food forgotten for the second time as he twirled the knife in a circular motion, the knife rotating in circular motions as the base of the knife constantly switched from in between finger to finger. 

Victor hated how fast Jason was learning. 

“That’s delightful baby, how is school going?”  
  
“It’s great! I have tons of friends already and my teacher says I’m smart!”

“That’s nice, Jay,” Roman responded.

The day went on as normal. After breakfast Jason was taken clothes shopping by the bodyguards, given three hundred dollars in cash to stow away in his backpack. Once returning it was already afternoon and Jason was tired, 

He trudged to his room, a heavy yawn in his voice as he greeted his mom and dad before making his way to his quarters and flopping on the soft bed. He was knocked out cold in about fifteen minutes.

When Jason awoke, the sun had already set, warm rays being replaced by cold streaks of moonlight. 

He ran into the living room, energy practically vibrating out of him as he begged his parents to play with him. Tag, hide and seek, _anything_.

“How about a board game, kiddo?” Roman suggested.

Jason eagerly nodded his head, dashing towards his room to find Monopoly and dashing back into the living room, setting up the board and the cards in record time. 

The board game didn’t get very far.

“Boss!” 

The elevator doors opened, a heavyset beta in a suit with a blonde ponytail running out. It was one of Jason’s bodyguards that drove him to school. Jason smiled and waved at the man. The blonde normally would’ve greeted the boy with a handshake and a warm welcome, but he was unable to right now. It was urgent. 

“Batman’s downstairs! Our security’s dropping like flies down there!’ 

Roman slammed the gameboard piece down on the table, the little figure bouncing up and down before settling on its side. A nasty snarl formed on his lips. “What!”

Roman led the man over to the corner where they could whisper to each other quietly, Victor began to unsheathe his knife as Jason stared curiously in the corner at the two. He wondered what they were talking about. Would he finally get to meet Batman? He’s heard all of his friends at school talk about how they’ve had a run in with the big bat. Is this finally his time? Is it finally his time to meet the man of the hour? 

  
  


“Jason, get to the roof. Quickly.” Roman instructed the boy.

A sense of dread settled over the three, Roman and Victor exchanged looks of concern. No wonder Victor insisted they installed a panic room. In case Jason ever needed a place to escape in case their work came to visit them. 

There were always other places in the penthouse to go, none could compare to the safety a panic room provided though. 

“But dad, what about-”  
  
“Jason, roof. _Now_ .” Roman’s voice dropped a few octaves that caused Jason to whimper in defeat. _Alpha voice._

Jason sighed. “Yes, Dad.”

“I’ll go with him.” Victor stated.

“No, no. You need to stay down here with me,” Roman commanded his mate. 

“Jason needs protection,”

“But Batman’s the good guy! Why would he want to hurt me?” Jason asked.

“Didn’t I tell you to go to the roof?” Roman growled.

Jason’s eyes widened in shock as his lips formed into a thin line. 

“Take the stairs,” 

He nodded at his father before running down the halls, sprinting up each step and towards the rooftop, the faint sound of fists colliding with flesh egging him on the run faster. He couldn’t tell where the noise came from, but deep down he hoped it was from the bottom floors (not that he wanted anyone to get hurt) and not from the penthouse. 

Jason dashed through the door, running towards the edge of the balcony until his feet finally caught up with his brain and stopped moving. 

He looked down below at the city; the noise reminding him of New York, but much more cruel and unforgiving. He let out a sigh, concern for his parents growing with every second that passed.

_Clang!_

Jason let out a screech of terror and jumped several feet into the air as a shadowy figure landed on the bar of the rail. He backed up a bit, his jaw dropping to the floor as he recognized the familiar pattern of red and green than he so often saw on the news. 

“You’re Robin!” Jason exclaims.

Jason scanned the outfit, the bright colors of the outfit contrasting with the dark night of the sky. 

“And _you_ are an unaccompanied minor on top of a building.” Robin stepped off the ledge and into the space, standing proud and tall in front of Jason. “What’re you doing up here alone?”

Jason’s eyes widened in amazement. He couldn’t believe he was actually talking to a superhero! Well- a sidekick, but still awesome!

“I’m not alone,” Jason smiled up at the teen. “you’re here with me.”

Robin chuckled. “Well, yes, but before you were alone. Why? Where are your parents?”

He knew he shouldn’t answer the question, his father’s voice ringing in his head always telling him never to reveal who he was to anyone, no matter who they said they were. He’d always ask why, only getting the same response every single time. 

He didn’t want the bad guys to come after him. 

“They’re… around,” 

Jason’s eyes gravitated towards the howling city below. By ‘around’ he meant currently in a meeting with Batman. And by the way his father had rushed him out, he had a gut feeling that it was not a very good talk.

“What’s your name?”

“Jas-” He stopped himself dead in his tracks, his father’s disappointed tone ringing in his head once again. “Jay. Just Jay.”

That technically wasn’t breaking his father’s rules? Right? It’s not like he gave Robin his _real_ name, just a nickname that the bird thinks is his real name. Basically, a fake name for the time being. 

“Okay, Jay.” Robin offered Jay a friendly smile that he offers all stray children, his mask slightly crinkling where his eyes reflected the warm smile. “Do you need a lift somewhere? Trust me, anything is safer than this place.”

Robin was still wondering how the small boy even got up here in the first place. It was damn near impossible to make it past Roman’s security on a _good_ day. So how did this child who’s probably no older than ten get past it?

“No,” Jason took a deep breath. “no, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Robin placed a warm, comforting hand on Jason’s shoulder. 

Jason couldn’t stop the chill that ran up his spine. He was having an actual conversation with a superhero! How cool was that? Sure, their conversation is built on a foundation of lies, but…not all relationships can’t be built on truths. His dad taught him that in the business area, not every relationship could. But this wasn’t business, was it?

If Jason somehow managed to befriend Robin in the few short minutes they’ve been talking, he’d consider it the biggest win in his life. 

“Y-yes,” he stuttered out, Robin gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’m good.”

Robin’s hand suddenly pressed up against his ear, his head started to nod, then he removed his fingers, looking back at Jason. 

“Something popped up, gotta run!” Robin said. “Just to make sure, you don’t need a lift anywhere?”

“No, once again, I’m good.” 

“Okay, whatever you say.” He shrugged.

Robin saluted him before stiffening up and falling backwards off of the building. Jason hung off the edge and looked down, only to see Robin rise like an _actual_ robin with a grappling hook and swing to another rooftop. 

He watched as he turned around, giving Jason a small smile and waving at him before running off into the night. 

Jason could only stare out into the distance, his eyes focused on the path that Robin went. 

Just because he didn’t want to be like him anymore, doesn’t mean that he still can’t admire the bird and all of the work he does to help people. Maybe his dad could train him to be his own Robin, Robin 2.0. He could create and feel his own type of magic, perhaps even a better magic. A thrill that being Robin and working for Batman couldn’t give him. 

\-----------------------

_Two shadow figures watched from the roof, the ashes of the building in the distance floating into the atmosphere. Thick lines of smoke rose from the ashes, polluting the toxic air of Gotham even more._

_Batman didn’t mean for this to happen. None of it. He just wanted to help. That’s all he ever wants to do. Help people. Not hurt them._

_“That’s terrible…” The smaller one mumbled, slouching their shoulders. “I didn’t know that was Sionis’s son.”_

_“That boy was Sionis’s best kept secret.” The taller one stated. “He’s gone, and it’s my fault.”_

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! I thought I wasn't gonna make it at first! But here's the weekly update!


	5. To the Moon and Back

Roman watched with narrowed eyes as the elevator doors opened, the slow reveal of the man of the hour causing him more annoyance with each passing second. Finally, when the doors opened there stood Batman, in all of his dark glory. 

Just seeing the man made Roman even more annoyed than before. An annoyance that doesn’t leave when the person does, an annoyance that sticks with the carrier for a while before disappearing as if it was never there.

“Batman,” Roman sat down in the cherry red loveseat next to Victor, the omega twirling his dagger in a dangerous display of challenge, his pointed tongue lolling out of his mouth as he passed the bat a wicked grin. It was common knowledge to never enter an omega’s den without strict permission (not that Roman would ever call his penthouse _Victor’s_ den, but he did nest during his heats) and if that code was violated consequences have been known to vary from bad to deadly. “to what do i owe the pleasure to such a _lovely_ visit?”

Batman was greatly unaware of how lucky he was that Victor was on suppressants. If it weren’t for birth control the alpha would be able to smell the full extent of the pure rage that lingered in the omega’s scent. 

He wouldn’t be able to tell if the omega was pissed because he ruined game night? Or if it was because of the home invasion.

Roman looked at the invader up and down, disgust painting his face as he carefully watched his movements.

Damn, he wishes he was strapped right now! Damn Victor and his rules against having weapons around Jason!

“Sionis,” Batman let out a threatening growl at the other alpha. “you have some explaining to do.”

“A home ambush?” Roman tsked three times. “I thought you’d be more civil, considering your status.” 

Roman stood and sauntered over into the kitchen, spinning light on his toes as he grabbed a bottle of wine and made himself a glass of the alcohol. Once he was done he twirled back over to the loveseat, Victor waiting excitedly with a slight bounce. 

Roman landed near on top of Victor, the other man backing up a few scooches to make more room for Roman. 

The wine danced in his glass, threatening to spill over with all of the movement that was previously going on between Roman and his dancing feet. 

He brought the glass to the omegas lips and forced the liquid down his throat, Victor gave his alpha a lazy smile, his mating mark on the side of his throat proudly being exposed to the cold air of the penthouse. 

Well, Roman _interpreted_ it as proud and not an accidental slip of his mate’s collar.

Even though in reality that’s all it really was.

Batman internally grimaced at the sick and twisted display of “love”. He knew this wasn’t what relationships were supposed to look like. 

He looked around the penthouse, scanning the area of fine decoration and fancy furniture as his eyes fell upon a game board, with _three_ pieces instead of two. 

Why would there be three when there were only two of them here?

The only logical conclusion was that there was a third person but where? He doubted that Roman invited his staff to play board games with him and his mate on Sunday’s but there was no other reason he could come up with in his mind. 

“I was unaware villains played board games.” 

“Oh Batman! Villain is _such_ a harsh word. Kind of hurtful, actually,” Roman’s face twisted into one of mock sadness as his hand went over his chest. “I’m just simply trying to make Gotham better.” 

He decided to let it go for now. 

“My intel tells me that your drug trades are increasing and more people are dying _daily,_ I don’t see how that’s helping anyone in Gotham.”

“Well, it’s certainly helping me make more money.” 

“Stop the trade, Sionis. And tell your mate to hang up his occupation as well.” He shot a quick glance at the omega. Victor bared his teeth in response, a slight growl reverberating from his throat. 

“You broke into my house for that? You ruined my evening, for _that?_ ” He slammed the glass on the mahogany end table, his lips pulling back in a sinister smile. “Believe it or not Batsy, I have more important things to manage than your sorry ass.”

“Stop the drug trade or there will be consequences to your actions,” Bruce growled again. “I can promise you that.”

Honestly, Batman doesn’t know how he got talked into this. Robin begged him endlessly to try and talk to people without violence since studies show that talking is more effective, and Batman _hated_ it.

He hated how he wasn’t able to express his frustrations onto Sionis’s face until he was slightly purple. Of course he’d never cross the line and take the man’s life, but damn if it didn’t feel good to punch him once in a while. 

He was hurting children for god sake. He was drug dealing to children and ruining their lives, consequences be damned. 

Two fingers came to Batman’s ear as he whipped around, no longer facing the two men before him. “Robin, come in, Robin.. Leaving now. You know where to meet me. Out,” The channel shuttered and screeched before a high pitched voice answered, confirming that he’ll meet Batman at the location. 

Bruce turned around to face the pair. 

“This isn’t over, Sionis,”

Roman let out a half-hearted laugh. “On the contrary Batman, it very much is.”

Tight lines formed around Batman’s lips before he stepped into the elevator, the doors closing on a menacing glare. 

Batman threw down a smoke boom before running into the elevator, disappearing from the two men currently coughing on smoke. 

Once it cleared Roman and Victor both rubbed their eyes, the smoke tinging the white part a slight salmon color. 

Roman's head whipped around to glare at his mate.

“Go get Jason!” Roman snapped. 

“Alright, Boss.” Victor mumbled in compliance completely ignoring the disrespect in his mate’s voice. Roman did not correct him on the terminology he used. 

The omega rolled his eyes and walked towards the door that contained the stairs, opening it and slamming it behind him once he was inside. 

  
Wait-shit.

Doesn’t Batman spend time on the roof?

Double shit, _Jason_ was sent to the roof! 

Cold sweat formed on Victor’s forehead, at the thought of his pup in danger his feet picked up, carrying him up all of the flights of stairs until he was at the door that led out onto the roof. The roof where Batman hopefully wasn’t. 

Oh god, what if Jason was discovered by Batman? Or worse, _kidnapped_ by Batman?

Victor burst through the door, shoulders heaving as he took his first breath in a while. He didn’t realize how much running up all those stairs tired him out. But right now, he didn’t care all he needed to do was make sure Jason was okay.

“Jay?” Victor approached the boy carefully once he noticed that he was sitting on the ledge of the railing with no support. Relief spread through him at the sight of his boy. “You can come back downstairs now.”

Jason whipped around to see Victor, standing in front of the open door that led to the roof. 

“A little help?” The boy offered his mother a small smile.

Victor nodded and rushed over, scooping up his boy in his arms and planting a firm kiss on his forehead. He swore his heart swells three sizes bigger whenever he’s with Jason. It’s an interesting switch how he can go from face peeling maniac to slipping into the motherly role so easily. 

Perhaps his love for Jason was stronger than he thought.

Don’t get him wrong, he loved Jason to the moon and back. He’d give everything and anything to ensure the safety of his child. But being a mother changed him in a way he didn’t expect it to. 

The habits he does around the house such as weekly laundry, making breakfast for Jason on the weekends when Roman’s chefs were off duty, playing with his little one when no one else was around to do so (he loved being Jason’s first choice though). A decade ago it was all new to him.

“Mama?” Baby blue eyes looked stared into Victor’s brown ones. “When can I become a hero of my own?”

Victor blinked several times, his eyes never once leaving Jason’s face. 

Shit. He knew this question would come one day, he just didn’t expect it to come so soon. Victor already knew what he wanted, he wanted his son safe and at home, and not involved in this life at all. 

Victor wasn’t dumb, he knew he wasn’t considered a good guy by any means, the only person who saw him as even remotely good was Jason. And he wanted to keep it that way. He was all for his son becoming better than him, but the fear that Jason might become _worse_ than him still assaulted his mind. 

“When you’re old enough baby, you’re only ten right now.” He nuzzled into Jason’s hair, effectively scenting his pup.

“But Robin is out there and he’s young!” Jason protested loudly.

Vic bit his tongue at the comment on Robin. He wanted to say ‘yes and he’s risking his life at such a young age’ but held off on the comment, knowing it will only lead to more questions from his child. 

“Robin is a teenager, Jay.” Victor kindly corrected him.

“Oh…” Jason looked down to stare at his palms. “then can I when I’m a teenager.”

“No, you can when you’re an adult.” Victor had an automatic response to that question. 

Personally, he’d prefer it if his baby wasn’t out in a costume in the night sky at all. It was a dangerous job on both sides of the spectrum and Victor was well aware of that. No matter what side Jason chose he was only going to get hurt, and Victor couldn’t bear the thought of that happening. Or worse, possibly _losing_ Jason. 

“But what if Dad says I can start early?” He looked hopefully up at his mother. “can I start then? He seemed impressed with my knife twirling.”

Fucking Roman and his inability to shut down Jason’s behavior. Hell, at least let the boy see a therapist, that’s all Victor asked for. Was Roman actually impressed with Jason’s abilities with a knife or was he just telling the pup what he wanted to hear? Regardless, he shouldn’t be encouraging the behavior. 

Victor readjusted his hold on Jason. “Sorry baby, but no.” 

Jason’s eyes watered at the omega’s answer. It broke his heart to hear those words come out of his moms mouth. 

“Hey, chin up, pup,” Victor placed his pointer and middle finger together then under Jason’s chin, inching his head upwards until they were making eye contact again. 

Victor studied the teary eyed, boy, Jason’s lip slightly quivered under Victor’s unintentionally intense gaze.

Victor’s soft gaze has been getting better since having Jason, but it was still intimidating to look at. 

Jason wanted a gaze like that when he was bigger. When he was stronger. He wanted a look that could strike down even the strongest of alphas. 

Victor placed another kiss on Jason’s forehead before swinging the kid on top of his shoulders, giving the kid a better view of the city.

  
Jason spread his arms and started to move around, blowing out air from pressed lips to imitate the engine of an airplane. Eventually Jason got bored of it and sat in comfortable silence with Victor, listening to the varying sounds of the city.

“Mama,” Jason started. “Dad said the city was awful… what did he mean by that?”

What the fuck Roman? How’d he go from being a nearly absent father figure to Jason to giving him advice on the city. Seriously, he needs to have a serious talk with his mate.

“It’s just the way it is, Jay,” Victor sighed, sadness tinted in his voice. “once you’re in Gotham you can’t get out.” 

“But… but that’s awful!” Jason whined.

“I know, but that’s just how it is,” Victor let out another sigh. He was so tired.

“You’ll see Mom!” He shouted into the night sky. “One day, I’ll rule all of Gotham! And in my city, no one will ever be afraid or go hungry! I’ll run Gotham my way, you’ll see!”

Victor has no idea how he got lucky with such a great and ambitious son. 

He didn’t have the heart to tell him that’s not how this city works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the chapter delay! Had a lot of New Years stuff going on. You all will get two chapters this week though (this one included) to make up for it!
> 
> Did I succeed in having a contrasting chapter to the earlier one? Victor's talk with Jason was very different than Roman's, huh.


	6. Should've, Could've, Would've

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor has some thoughts and reconciliations.

Days turned into months since Jason and Victor had a chat on the rooftop after Batman had visited them, until months turned into a whole year. Since then Victor would notice little behaviors Jason would engage in. When Victor checked the house before slipping into bed with Roman he’d pass by Jason’s room, seeing the boy standing by his window sill looking out into the night sky. He had entered the room a few times to see what was happening and what he was looking for but would end up getting the same answer every time. It's always just been a plain ‘a bird’ no matter how hard he pushed the topic. Eventually, Victor just dropped it, it wasn’t affecting Jason’s wake up time so it didn’t matter to him. 

With the passing of time came the growth of Jason, the kid graduating fifth grade with flying colors. Summer came and went, Roman took Victor and Jason to Italy for a family vacation for three weeks. For the first time in a while, Jason got to spend quality time with both of his parents for an extended amount of time and it made him the happiest pup in the world. Victor knew Jason loved when all three of them could go out together. Especially in public. 

With the end of every summer, came the beginning of a new school year. 

\------ 

“Mama no!” Jason clung to Victor’s leg like a red panda does to a bamboo tree branch. “No! Don’t make me go!”

Victor chuckled in amusement. “You have to go baby, it’s your first day.”

“No, my first day was in pre-school! This is just a new grade!” Jason whined.

“Still Jay, you gotta go.” Victor patted the boy on his head, ruffling his hair in the process. He could fix that again before he left.

“Please don’t make me go…” His whining melted away into a soft whimper, his lip quivering as his full body clutch on Victor’s leg only tightened. “I don’t wanna leave you, Mama.”

Victor would be a liar  ~~ regardless ~~ if he said Jason didn’t pull his heartstrings. The boy had the key to his heart, always and forever. Damn, parenting made him such a softie. But he was okay with that. 

“As sweet as that is, Jay, your education is important. How do you expect to go to medical school if you don’t go to sixth grade?”

The last time he checked in with Jason he had mentioned wanting to become a hero, wanting to help people who couldn’t help themselves and taking care of those in need. Victor thought it was honorable but he didn’t want his son to grow up chasing fairy tales, or worst-case scenario dangerous realities. 

He missed back when Jason would say he wanted to be a nurse, helping the sick and working at Gotham General Hospital. 

Victor was aware dreams could change over time, but he had to use some type of leverage over him if he wanted Jason to go to school willingly. He knew Jason liked school, it was the getting out of the house part that was hard for him. 

Victor took notice of how quiet Jason got when he brought up wanting to be a nurse. The hesitation in his eyes as his lips slightly parted as he was about to say something. Victor waited patiently for words that never came out of Jason’s mouth.  _ Nothing _ came out of Jason’s mouth. 

That worried him more than he’d like to admit. 

“C’mon Jay, you’re gonna be late if you keep this up,” 

Victor frowned as he watched Jason’s eyes fill with tears, his lip quivering as he let out a strangled whimpering noise pups make when they’re distressed or hungry when they’re young. It triggers every paternal instinct Victor has and it takes all of his willpower to not give in to the pup’s demands. 

“B-but Mom, I’ll miss you,” Jason buried his head deeper into Victor’s body. can’t I go to work with you today?”   
  


Victor’s blood went cold at the mention of his job from his kid. 

The realization that he never really talked about it with Jason made him feel as if a bucket of ice water had been dropped on him. Yes, there was the  _ incident _ that set off Jason wanting to be a hero but surely the kid couldn’t have come to the conclusion that all Victor does for a living is peel faces for Roman along with his own side work of making busy work of whoever pissed him off that day. 

“You know you can’t skip school,” Victor stated.

“Okay, fine, I’ll go.” Jason hung his head in defeat, finally letting go of his mother’s foot and standing on the floor with his own two feet. “Can you at least drop me off?”

Victor couldn’t stop the small frown that appeared on his face for a split second, quickly getting replaced with a falsified smile that he mostly uses on Roman. His heart dropped as the words came out of Jason’s mouth. It wasn’t the words that were offensive but the reason why he couldn’t drop him off that was.

Oh, how he would love nothing more in this life than to be a normal family. To have the ability to drop off Jason and pick him up from school whenever he pleases. To have the ability to be seen out in public with his own son without risking both of their safeties. 

If he could have one wish? It would be able to be Jason’s parent 24/7 and not a criminal. It upset Victor beyond belief when they couldn’t go out for Jason’s birthday because he didn’t want to have a run-in with the law. It was embarrassing he couldn’t do his job as a parent. 

“Your bodyguards will drop you off as usual, Jay.” Victor rubbed comforting circles on the boy’s back and pushed him towards the two men in suits waiting for him at the elevator. 

Jason waved shyly at the two men in response, normally very friendly and open with the two he was now shy and reserved due to the new school year. He liked them, he really did, thought of them as a second family. But the new school year was always tough for him. He didn’t know how true the saying ‘kids can be cruel’ was until he went to a public school. The teachers themselves were nice, but the kids were… difficult to deal with in Jason’s opinion, to say the least. 

“Will you be here when I come back?” Jason asked with wide eyes.

“Of course I will, Jay. You know I always am.”

Jason stepped into the elevator, the two guards tightly at his side as he raised his hand and began to wave, the doors closing as he gave an exaggerated smile to his parent. Victor couldn’t stop himself from smiling and waving back, in return causing Jason to wave faster and shout out a quick goodbye before the doors closed. 

The moment the elevator chimed Victor’s smile dropped off his face as he trudged over to the couch, falling backward until he felt his head hit a pillow as he adjusted his feet to lay opposite to him on a pillow.

After a few moments of collecting himself, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing a number he dials way too often. 

“Boss?” Victor’s tongue swiped across his lips.

“What’s the sitch, Vic?” 

Roman sat on the other end of the line, swiveling in

“I need you to peel off a few faces for me today,” Victor heard Roman stand up from his chair and move around the building, most likely going to stand in front of a window with a glass of wine cupped in his hands. “can you do that for me, baby?”

“Of course, Boss,” Victor smiled halfheartedly, as if he was a teenager twirling their hair and talking on the phone with their crush. It was refreshing how killing could make a person feel young again.

“I’ll text you their address,’ Roman took a sip of his wine and exhaled. “You’ll do great baby, I know you will. You always do great work for me. Taking such good care of me in every way required… that’s what I like- no, that’s what I  _ love _ about you. I love how you’re such a good little worker, a good omega, all for me. No one else gets to be with you the way I do.”

In moments like these Victor always forgets what he really wants. When he’s not loopy and lovestruck from the pet names and the praise from Roman. What he  _ really  _ wanted deep down inside, a desire that kickstarted his heart and remembered what he really was under all of the blood, scars, and  _ murder _ .

A part of him regrets not keeping Jason from Roman, for not protecting his pup from his father. He regrets not running away the second he found out he was pregnant and raising Jason in another country where he’d be safe. Hell, he knows damn well that if he had done that and quit unexpectedly, Roman would’ve kept tabs on him, it’s impossible to escape his watching eye when he has tabs  _ everywhere,  _ not just inside of Gotham. He would’ve found out regardless of what Victor could’ve  and should’ve done.

At the time it just seemed like the best option, to be honest with the alpha.

He never expected Roman to be a perfect parent or the model parent. Barley did Victor think of Roman quitting his empire to come home to a white picket fence with an omega in the kitchen while their son played football outside like some corny 40’s show. 

Deep in the night, while he laid next to Roman’s sweat covered body did he wonder if it was too late to run. If it was too late to get away from the life that they’ve built themselves and start a new one. He’d never express these thoughts with the alpha, knowing he’d probably snap at him, kick him out of bed, or just roll over and not talk to him until he needed something, acting as if the conversation never happened in the first place.

“No one else, Boss.” Victor smiled fully, his cock becoming half-hard in his pants as he felt slick develop between his legs. Oh, how all the praise Roman handed out did things to him. “Just you.”

There was a small part of his brain that thought it was gross, getting a boner from his mate-  ~~ not right now, he’s not his mate in these moments, no matter how much his body thought otherwise ~~ no, his boss, talking to him over the phone.

“That’s my good boy.” Roman purred.

The omega softly let out a deranged giggle, relishing in the chaos of their relationship.

“Do I get a reward if I do a good job, Boss?” Victor asked.

“Of Course baby, you know what your reward is if you do a good job for me.” Roman took another sip of wine. “See you after work, doll.”

The line went dead as Victor was left to laugh at his own anguish, small giggles erupting into loud heinous laughter that ended with Victor on his side clutching his stomach.

He’s not getting out of this life. He’s  _ never  _ getting out of this life. What made him think he could possibly need Roman? The man said it himself, he needs him. What’ll happen to Roman if Victor runs away? If his mate and boss got hurt because of him he’d never forgive himself. 

It was too late for him, he knew that, it was a damn fact. But his  _ child? _

Guilt welled up in Victor’s stomach, pooling up into his throat in the form of hot bile. He couldn’t stomach the thought of Jason doing what he does, causing harm to others and being on the wrong side of the law at all times, possibly having to go up against  _ Batman.  _ Victor’s seen what the man does to people, boasting about how he has a no-kill rule yet giving henchmen who work late in the night lengthy hospital bills that families couldn’t bear to afford so they pull the plug on the relative. Hell, Victor’s even seen some people die from their injuries the bat gave. 

  
Victor growled. He would demolish Batman if he ever laid a hand on his son, and that’s a promise. Anyone for that matter who dared to lay a hand on Jason, no matter how high up on the scale they may be, they’re just another fucker to kill if they hurt Jason. 

Thoughts like those always brought up a secondary debate in Victor’s head. 

Would Jason ever get hurt because of Victor and Roman’s line of work? Victor hated thinking of it, hated being even a sliver of responsible if his child ever got hurt. No- that wouldn’t happen. The hero community nor the villain community even know about Jason’s existence. How would they be able to hurt someone they don’t even know exists? 

Or worse, what if somehow Jason ends up  _ dead _ ? It’d be all Victor’s fault, wouldn’t it? Since he was supposed to protect him? Roman would certainly think so, that if Jason died it’d be all Victor’s fault. The thought of putting his son in the ground made him even more nauseous. He threw a pillow at a window. No- he didn’t even want to think about that. 

He’d keep Jason safe. He knew he would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:
> 
> Me to my readers: good parent Victor content 
> 
> School's kicking my butt with my writing schedule, but I'm still trying to pump out chapters :). I'm trying to make it fluffy and slowly build to the big climax.


End file.
